Enabling Better Decisions via the Internet of Things

We live in a world where everyday items—smartphones, automobiles, security systems, wearable devices, etc.—invisibly and seamlessly communicate with each other, sensing and controlling their environment as they stay connected to all of us via the cloud. We call this the Internet of Things (IoT), and within this world comes significant opportunities for business intelligence. As the IoT grows and becomes more engrained in the way we live, businesses are charged with not only offering more products and services that are enabled through IoT devices, but they must also consider ways to allow customers to communicate and purchase in their preferred manner. In the broadest terms, businesses participate in the IoT in one of two key ways. They either provide a product or service through devices that are connected to the Internet, or they use the Internet to understand customer behaviors, habits, and expectations. Companies that don’t ask, how does the IoT affect us? will be left behind. In this report, we dive deeper into the IoT and discuss how to process this influx of data while mitigating risks associated. We also discuss the new role research can play in the decision making process.